The Good and the Bad The Past and the Present
by Kamen Rider Chrome
Summary: Makoto apologises to Kotonoha and Kotonoha and Ryuji talk about the status of their relationship.


**-The Good and the Bad. The Past and the Present-**

"Kotonoha, can I talk with you, in private?" Makoto requested as he came into the classroom of 1-4 to see Ryuji and Kotonoha cleaning up. He gulped when he saw Ryuji glaring coldly at him but Kotonoha gently grasped Ryuji's arm to whisper something to him. Ryuji, still glaring at Makoto, nodded before leaving the room. Makoto relaxed after the door slid shut but he knew Ryuji would be on the other side.

"What do you want to talk about, Makoto-kun?" responded Kotonoha, putting the broom against the wall.

"I want to talk…about us," he explained. He continued, "I'm sorry for what I did. I really am. I never meant to hurt you."

"Yet you did."

"Yes, I know, and there was no excuse for what I did. But…well…"

"You wanted someone who would not reject physical intimacy like I had," she concluded. Makoto wanted to go further with her back when they were together but she just wasn't ready for all that. She didn't mind kissing him, but when he groped her breast while they made out that one time, she didn't like it.

Makoto shamefully nodded, "Yes."

"Makoto-kun, I wasn't ready back then," she told him. "It was just too soon. Unfortunately, you thought things were progressing too slowly, which was why you decided to be with Saionji-san."

Makoto gave another shameful nod.

"Makoto-kun, eventually I would've allowed you to touch me like that. You could've waited, but you were just too impatient," she said to him. "It was new for me too, being in a relationship like that and I loved you so much. Why couldn't you be satisfied with that?"

"Because…I…I guess…" He paused. "I…I don't know."

"Makoto-kun, we've broken up," she reminded him. "Let's just forget about what we had since that's all in the past. Besides, I have someone else now and so do you."

Makoto couldn't argue with that logic. He was happy with Sekai. But, he still had to know. "Kotonoha, can you tell me why you chose him?" Makoto asked. He'd heard about Ryuji's reputation, which Taisuke confirmed after he'd been beaten up by Ryuji.

"You don't see it and he doesn't show it to many people," Kotonoha began to answer, "But Ryuji-kun is not always as he seems. Sure, he puts up a front that makes him seem mean and violent…"

'_That's a front!-?_' Makoto thought. To him, Ryuji always seemed to scowl and didn't have anything nice to say to him, or to other s for that matter, with Kotonoha and a few others being an exception, a very _small_ exception.

"But he takes care of his friends and family and fights for them," Kotonoha finished. She added, "We even helped each other deal with our own personal demons."

"Kotonoha, I…" Makoto began to say. The door slid open and Makoto froze when he saw Ryuji glaring straight at him.

"Koto-chan, are you done?" Ryuji asked.

"Yes, I am," she answered. She said to Makoto, "See you tomorrow." She exited the room. Ryuji then looked to Makoto who seemed to calm down, if only a little.

"You should be grateful. If it weren't for Koto-chan telling me not to hurt you, I would've done so a long time ago," said Ryuji threateningly.

Makoto spoke, "I can't believe she'd end up with a guy like you."

Ryuji replied, "Yeah, me too. I can't believe she sees any good in me. Of course, compared to you, I'm a better man."

Makoto was silent. Yeah, Ryuji was right about that. Makoto didn't see anything but genuine affection between Kotonoha and Ryuji. Also, Kotonoha was happy, much happier than when she'd been dating him.

Ryuji continued, "You may have liked her, but all you were interested in was a more physical relationship and she just wasn't ready for it. You lusted after her, without caring about her feelings. She loved you, and you didn't appreciate it. You were discontent."

Makoto asked, "And what about you?"

Ryuji admitted, "I do think about it, but I never pressure her for it. I prefer our emotional connection right now. She also makes me want to be a better person than I used to be. I doubt I deserve her. Heck, neither you or I are good enough for someone like her."

Makoto asked, "So, why do you love her?"

"She reminds me of my mom," Ryuji answered simply. He then warned Makoto, "I don't like you and I don't like Saionji, and if I hear you hurt another girl like you hurt Koto-chan, I will hunt you down and make you wish you were never born." Ryuji let out a feral growl before leaving Makoto alone. Makoto thought about Ryuji's words and recalling the state Taisuke had been found in after the festival knew that it wasn't an idle threat.

As Ryuji and Kotonoha went down to the shoe lockers, he asked her, "Why do you still want to talk to that lowlife after what he did to you? If I were you I would've cut him out of my life."

"He hurt me terribly and so did Saionji-san, but I still want to be friends," said Kotonoha.

"With friends like them who needs enemies?" murmured Ryuji. "Koto-chan, if you need friends then you got me and Loki, there's also Warren, Teresa and the other ChronoLiner Riders. You know you can trust us."

"But none of them are here right now."

"At least you got me. That should be good enough, right?"

Smiling, Kotonoha kissed his cheek. He blushed. "That's sweet. You always know what to say to lift my spirits."

"You're my girl and I'm your boyfriend. It's kind of in the job description," he explained. "Appreciate the kiss, though." They then switched their indoor shoes for their outdoor shoes.

Blushing, she spoke, "Ryuji-kun…ano…"

"Hm?" He cocked an eyebrow curiously. "What is it?"

"If you wanted to take our relationship to the next level, I wouldn't mind."

He stumbled as he put on his shoes. "Nani!"

Kotonoha twiddled her fingers. "It's just that…I want to…"

"Are you ready?" he asked her sternly. "Are you absolutely sure you're ready or do you think you're ready?"

She didn't answer.

"I won't force you to do that unless you really are ready," he told her. Leaning over, he nuzzled her neck and purred. She smelled nice, as always. "This emotional connection is good enough for me. It's all we both need right now. Sex can come later down the road."

"So, you don't ever want to have sex?" she asked.

Ryuji stepped back and scratched the back of his head. "I didn't say _that_, I just think it's a pretty big step for the both of us to take too soon and not something we should rush into this early in our relationship." He added, averting his eyes, "And…to be honest, I want to make you happy when we actually do get to that point."

Kotonoha touched his arm and smiled warmly at him. He smiled back awkwardly. He wasn't used to showing positive emotions like this as most of the time he wore a scowl on his face. Only Kotonoha could make him smile.

"Plus I want to introduce to my mom first if that's OK with you?" he said to her. "She'd want to meet you."

"I'd like to meet your mother too," said Kotonoha. A while back, Ryuji just considered himself as simply a cut-off extension of Ryuki's psyche, a physical concentration of his negative emotions, before he found a sense of identity. Now he was really Ryuki's brother. Sure, he had most of Ryuki's memories but he was trying to create new memories of his own with Kotonoha. "What is she like?"

"Eccentric, for the most part, open-minded, and she isn't at all critical or judgmental, except when it comes to fashion," he informed Kotonoha. "She's a fashion designer and she owns her own company as well as a modeling agency." Ryuji gave Kotonoha a once over. "You know, you got a nice figure. Maybe you could be a model too."

"You really think so?" She was flattered.

"You're a really beautiful girl, Koto-chan, not to mention you have a great personality."

Kotonoha looked apprehensive, "I don't know if I could with all those people watching…"

"Ultimately, that's your decision," he said. "Come on, let's go."

The two went and got on his bike. He passed her a helmet before putting his own on. He started up his back and drove away with her arms wrapped around him. She leaned into his back and enjoyed the ride home.

"We're here," he said when they reached her house. She dismounted, taking off the helmet.

"Would you like to come in?" Kotonoha invited.

"Won't your parents mind?" he asked.

"Oh, they're on a business trip so it's just me and Kokoro-chan. Come on. She'd be happy to see you here."

Ryuji didn't have to think about his decision. "Sure."

Glomp!

"Ryuji-niichan!" Kokoro greeted as she hugged him about the waist.

"Hey, squirt," said Ryuji as he ruffled her hair. "Your sister invited me over."

"Now, Kokoro-chan," said Kotonoha. "Behave yourself, alright?"

"Alright, Onee-chan!" said Kokoro.

Both Kotonoha and Ryuji headed up to her room. "She really adores you," said Kotonoha as she opened the door. "She even asked about our first date."

"Hope you didn't tell her everything," he said.

"No, I didn't. Just the good parts." They both sat down on the floor together.

Ryuji's tone turned grave as he asked, "Kotonoha, why weren't you afraid of my true form?"

She'd seen his Orphenoch form and rather than react in fear, she accepted it.

"Your appearance didn't matter," she told him. "I know you wouldn't have hurt me."

"Normal people would call me a monster."

Kotonoha cried, "You're not a monster! Stop saying that."

Ryuji sighed, "If you knew what I was really like, you'd think differently. Normal people like you tend to react badly towards people like me, calling us freaks." He added, "And even if I wasn't an Orphenoch, you and I aren't what people see as the ideal couple. I'm basically a hood and you're a rich girl."

"So what?" Kotonoha asked "They only see one side of you. The Ryuji-kun I see is kind, courageous, selfless and cares for Kokoro." The last part referred to how Kokoro looked up to Ryuji. "You don't care if other people see you as a monster, a punk or anything. To your friends and to me, you are Ryuji." Kotonoha said.

"That's not entirely true," Ryuji replied. "If you hated and rejected me that night, I don't know what I would do…" Blue flames enveloped his right hand. It became grey, covered in organic armor, with black claws. "Actually, if you'd rejected me, I might've reverted to the way I was and started killing indiscriminately."

"I don't believe that," said Kotonoha firmly as she took hold of his Orphenoch hand. "These hands of yours are made for protecting, not destruction."

Ryuji rolled his eyes. If only she knew the truth.

His hands reverted to normal as he caressed her cheek. "You really don't see the bad in people, do you?"

"I believe that anyone has good in them when given the chance," said Kotonoha, smiling.

Ryuji rolled his eyes. "You're no different from Ryuki."

"Is that a bad thing?" Kotonoha asked him.

Shaking his head, Ryuji replied, "No, it isn't."

Kotonoha, without warning, leaned in and kissed Ryuji on the lips. He was taken aback. He blinked as Kotonoha pulled back. "O…kay…" He was still getting used to receiving affection from a beautiful girl.

"I love you," she confessed, smiling.

"How did you fall in love something like me?" he questioned. "If you knew about the things I've done…"

"It doesn't matter. None of it does. It's in the past."

"The past shapes us, Koto-chan. I'm living proof. I'm Ryuki's anger and hate in a living and breathing package."

"You're more than that," she argued, stroking his face. "You can feel more than anger and hate."

"I hate them," he admitted, "Saionji, Itou, Katou and her posse, and also Sawanaga for the stuff they did to you." He fists were clenched in his lap. "I don't think I can ever forgive them." She placed a hand on one of his.

"Don't think about hate. Think about us. Think about love."

"Koto-chan…" He leaned in to kiss her but then he leaned in too much and lost balance. She gasped as he fell on top of her, landing on top of the bed. His hand was on one of her breasts. "Sorry!" He tried to get off but her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him down. "Koto-chan?"

"I like this position," she said to him. "Ryuji-kun, kiss me."

Ryuji-kun nodded and kissed her deeply. Meanwhile, peeking through the crack of the door was Kokoro who giggled at the scene. She then went to find some Pocky.

* * *

><p><strong>KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Just another Kotonoha and Ryuji piece I wanted to write. It's short and sweet, just the way I like it.<strong>


End file.
